Evaporative refrigerator



R. J. GASKIN AND H. M. TA RRAS.

EVAPORATIVE REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATIQN FILED SEPT. 9,1920.

Patentd Feb. 14, 1922.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

R. J. GASKIN AND H. M. TARRAS.

EVAPORATIYE aarmcamno.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, I920.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETS$HEET 2- oars STATES PATENT orrice.

ROBERT JOHN GASKIN AND HARRY MITCHELL TARRAS, 9F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA; SAID TAB/HAS ASSIGNQB. 6F {ENE-SIXTH OF HIS INTEREST TO SAID GASKIN.

Application filed September To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT JOHN Gas- KIN and HARRY Mrrornnm Tami-is, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Tm provements in Evaporative Refrigerators; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to an evaporative refrigerator, including in its structure a storage chamber having a door closed entrance, a bibulous cover for the contents therein, and means actuated by the closing and opening of the entrance for moving the cover into and out of contact with the contents.

The invention further includes in its structure means for saturating the bibulous cover, and means for maintaining a circulation of air through the chamber for the evaporation of the saturating liquid.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of the refrigerator on the line 11, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section, on a larger scale than Fig. 1, and taken on the line 2-2 in the latter figure.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail section, enlarged, on the line 44:, Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

The cabinet a, which may be of any usual or approved type, is constructed preferably of sheet metal and is of such dimensions as to meet the requirements for which it is to be used.

This cabinet is supported on legs, Z), of a suitable height to sufficiently space the bottom of cabinet from the ground for the air to pass freely under the cabinet and up through the open bottom thereof.

The opening in the bottom is preferably covered by a foraminous plate, 0, constructed of any suitable material, and removable for sanitary and other purposes.

Below the foraminous plate 0 is a fabric drip pan, d, and below this drip pan is a second fabric drip pan, 6.

In the top of the cabinet are ventilating Specification of Letters Patent.

EVAPOEATIVE REFRIGERATOR.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

9, 1920. Serial No. 409,224.

of the moisture laden air through the cabinet, and its egress therefrom.

lVithin the cabinet above the foraminous plate a is a foraminated shelf or support, on which the contents of the refrigerator are placed, this shelf or support being removably mounted on brackets, g, secured to the sides of the refrigerator compartment g.

Above the shelf or support 9 is a vertically movable rack h, which is respectively lifted away from or lowered towards the shelf or support 9 during the opening or closing of the door, 57 of the compartment The compartment 1, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with an entrance it having a door 9 which is suitably hinged to the cabinet.

Suspended from the inner surface of the top of the cabinet at the four corners of the compartment are pulley blocks j, and passing through these pulley blocks are cords, wires or cables 7", attached at their opposite ends to the rack and door and of such length as to lower the rack into contact with the shelf or support 9 when the door is closed, and to lift it away from the shelf or support when the door is open.

Lying on the rack is a bibulous cover 7c of textile fabric material, capable of absorbing a considerable quantity of liquid, cotton wick, or felt being particularly suitable for this purpose.

This bibulous cover extends beyond the sides h of the rack and passes over a pair of rollers, Z, Z, mounted in this compartment above the limit of the upward movement of the rack and cover.

A pair of tanks, m, m, are arranged Within the compartment at the sides of the rack and preferably extend from the front to the back of the cabinet and are equipped with a water inlet, 722', through which the tanks are refilled.

The rollers, Z, Z, are arranged within the boundaries of the tanks m, m, andthose portions of the bibulous cover passing over them descend into the tanks, this arrangement permitting of the surplus Water, from the immersion of the cover, draining back into the tanks.

The tanks m, m, are connected by a pipe 0,

located below the shelf or support, and this pipe maintains a common level in the two tanks to ensure an even saturation of the cover on both sides of its middle. The pipe 0 is equipped with a valve closed drain cock,

0, by which the contents of the tanks can be drawn off.

In the top of cabinet is a reservoir, 7), and connected therewith is a valve controlled spray pipe, 72, extending across the compartment to saturate the bibulous cover when the valve 7) controlling the supply from the reservoir to the pipe is opened.

To maintain the movement of the rack in a lixed path, the walls of the cabinet are formed with vertical guide slots 9, and the sides of the rack are provided with guide pins r, which project through the slots and are fitted with thumb nuts, r, having shoulders overlapping the sides of the slot.

In the use of the refrigerator the contents, such as bottle and canned goods or other wa ter proof packages, are placed on the shelf or support. The door for the entrance to the compartment is then closed and as it. closes the rack supporting wires or cables slacken and lower the rack and cover into contact with the contents.

The air passing into the compartment 9 through the open bottom evaporates the water contained in the bibulous cover and in doing so materially lowers the temperature of the compartment, this evaporation continuing until the absorption by the cover has exhausted the contents of the tanks, the moisture laden air finding an egress through the ventilator f at the top of the compartment.

In the event of the absorption from the tanks m, 722, being insufficient to keep the bibulous cover saturated a comminuted spray can be injected into the compartment from the reservoir p, through the spray pipe 3), and the volume and period of the injection can be controlled by the valve 19'.

hen the door 9 is opening, the wires or cables tighten and lift the rack and bibulous' cover away from the contents of the compartment so that access may readily be had to them.

During the lifting of the rack those por tions of the bibulous cover extending be yond the rack pass over the rollers Z, Z, and descend into the tanks m, m, to become saturated by immersion and effect the saturation of that portion of the bibulous cover lying on the rack by capillarity.

lVhen the door is closing, the wires or cables slackcnand lower the rack and cover, those, portions ofthe .bibulous cover extend inc; beyond the rack, then pass up over the rollers Z, Z, which operate to remove the surplus water and cause it to drain back into the tanks m, m.

The drainage from the bibulous cover is collected by the textile fabric drip pans 10- cated below the shelf or support and is evap orated by the air current passing into the compartment through the open bottom and utilized to lower the temperature of the air within the refrigerator.

To ensure the descent of the projecting portions of the bibulous cover into the tanks m, 07?, their edges are preferably provided with suitable weights Z.

Having thus fully described our inven tion, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber having a door closed entrance, a bibulous cover within the storage chamber for the contents thereof, and means actuated by the door respectively lifting and lowering the cover during the opening and closing of the door.

2. An. evaporative refrigerator compris ing a bottomless storage chamber having an egress opening in its upper part for maintaining a circulation of air therethrough, a door closed entrance for the storage Cl13m her, a bibulous cover within the storage chamber for the contents thereof, and means connecting the cover withthe door whereby it can be respectively lifted and lowered during the opening and closing of the door.

3. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber having a door closed entrance, a bibultius cover within the storage chamber for the contents thereof, means actuated by the door respectively lifting and lowering the cover duringthe opening and closing of the door and means for saturating the cover.

41-. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a bottomless storage chamber having an egress opening in its upper part for maintaining a circulation of air therethrough, a door closed entrance for the storage chamher, a support for the contents of the chamber, a bibulous cover overlying the support, means connecting the cover with the door whereby it is respectively lifted away from and lowered towards the support during the opening and closing of the door, and means for saturating the cover.

5. An evaporative refrigerator comprisinga storage chamber having a door closedentrance, a bibulous cover within the storage chamber for the contents thereof connected with the door to be respectively lifted and lowered by it during the opening and closing of the door, and a. tank within the re frigerator for saturating the covert 6. An evaperative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber, a door-closed entrance therefor, a support for the contents therein, a tank within the refrigerator for containing a liquid cooling agent, a bibulous cover overlying the support and having its ends contained within the tank for its saturation, and means vactuated by the door for respectively lifting the cover away from and lowering it towards the support during the opening and closing of the door.

7. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber, a door-closed entrance therefor, a support for the contents therein, a rack within the storage chamber superposed with relation to the support, means connected with the rack and door by which it is respectively raised and lowered by the opening and closing of the door, a bibulous cover raised and lowered by the rack, and means for saturating the cover.

8. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber, a door-closed entrance therefor, a support for the contents therein, a rack within the storage chamber superposed with relation to the support, means connected with the rack and door by which it is respectively raised and lowered by the opening and closing of the door, a bibulous cover raised and lowered by the rack, and means comprising a tank containing a liquid cooling agent for saturating the cover.

9. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber, a door-closed entrance therefor, a support for the contents therein, a tank within the refrigerator for containing a liquid cooling agent, a rack superposed with relation to the support, flexible means connected with the rack and door for respectively raising and lowering the rack during the opening and closing of the door, a bibulous cover raised and lowered by the rack having its ends contained within the tank and idlers between the tank and the rack over which the cover travels when being raised and lowered.

10. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber, a door-closed entrance therefor, a support for the contents therein, a tank within the refrigerator containing a liquid cooling agent, a rack superposed with relation to the support, flexible means connected with the support and door for respectively raising and lowering the rack during the opening and closing of the door, a bibulous cover raised and lowered by the rack having its ends contained within the tank, idlers over which the cover travels and weights attached to the ends of the cover.

11. An evaporative refrigerator comprising a storage chamber, a door-closed entrance therefor, a support for the contents therein, a tank within the refrigerator containing a liquid cooling agent, a rack superposed with relation to the support, flexible means connected with the support and door for respectively raising and lowering the rack during the opening and closing of the door, a bibulous cover raised and lowered by the rack having its ends contained within the tank, idlers over which the cover travels and guides for the rack.

Toronto, Canada, August 26th, 1920.

ROBERT JOHN GASKIN. HARRY MITCHELL TARRAS.

Signed in the presence of- Gno. H. Rrorms, CHAS. H. Rrorms. 

